Goat milk ? Is it a good source of probiotics?

Objective: Goat is considered as poor man’s cow and their milk is very famous for its high nutritive profile, easy digestibility and rich amount of beneficial bacterial presence.? Plenty of works found explaining the physico-chemical aspects of goat milk, but research papers dealing its microbiological background is scanty.Methods: The present work was designed to assess its total heterotrophic bacterial population (THBP) and the Lactobacillus sp ? a potent probiotic candidate in human health, veterinary and aquaculture in the colostrums of a goat collected for a period of one week from the date of delivery of young calf. Analysis indicated that THBP and Lactobaicllus sp load was uncountable in day one and found decreasing, came to countable range in the next five days and gone below the countable limit in day seven.? Identification of Lactobacillus sp through basic microbiological and biochemical tests revealed the existence of three types of species including Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus delbruckii and Lactobacillus fermentum.? Off which the first two species were found at uniform level and the % of last beneficial bacteria was 14.Results: Analysis of bacteriocin production indicated all the species are positive for production.? The effectiveness of bacteriocin was checked against selected common Gram positive and negative bacterial pathogens in foods.? Bacteriocin of L. casei origin inhibited all the test organisms compared to the other two.? Screening of the impact of temperature and pH indicated that bacteriocin retained its activity at 600 and 700 C and pH 6 and 7. Effectiveness of commonly used antibiotics was also screened.Conclusions: Results of the current study indicating the scope of using Lactobaillus sp as a potent probiotic and bacteriocin as good bio preservative agent.